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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · bark · key · wax · bore · march · ball · squash

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. ball — a great time
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. march — the month
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bore — to drill
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. ball — a dance
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. key — in music
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bark — to shout

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com